Shaft bearing



'Juy'l4, EM. J. H. DoRAN 1,814,833

SHAFT BEARING Filed June 20, 1929 Inventor Jo h H. Doran Patentel July 14, 11931 UNITED STATES,

PATENT ortica JOHN n. Dormir, or sHENEcTADY, NEW' Yoan, v.AssicrNon To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A conroRA'rIoN oF NEW Yom:

SHAFT BEARING Application filed June 20,

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 220,782, filed Sept. 20, 1927, for. shaft bearings and assigned to the same assignee as the present application:

The invention relates to shaft bearings and especially toshaft bearings for relatively large, high-speed machinery such as elastic fluid turbines, centrifugal compressors and the like.

When highspeed machines operate in the Vicinity of or above their critical speeds, there is a tendency -for the phenomena known as shaft whipping to occur, the phenomena being manifested in a whirling motion of the rotor. Shaft whipping is most pronounced at In the drawings, Fig; 1 is a longitudinal sec- I tional view-of a earing embodying my invenl L bodiment fof my invention.

tion; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on line 2-2of'Fig. 1 ;\and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view similar to Fig. 2 of another em- According to my invention I provide yieldi i ing means for clamping the 4shaft down on its Shaft tightly in its bearing, such means being located preferably at .the -two ends of the bearing, although it may be located otherwise, for example, at the This serves to hld the aring and to prevent it from rolling around inside the bearing. At .the same time,however, it is capable of yieldcenter of the bearing.

ing when the force exceeds a lpredetermined `high value. In connection-with this yielding clamping means I mayprovide a friction means wthich also resists displacement ofthe shaft, and1I may further provide a friction means for the bearing as a whole, which friotion means-serve t'o absorb vibration energy.

Referring to the drawings, `1 indicates a A shaft and2 indicates a bearing for the shaft,

the bearing rlining being indicated at 3. vA

1929. serial No. 372,287. v

horizontal shaft is illustrated. The shaft rests on the bearing lining at its lower side, there being a slight clearance on the top of theshaft as is indicated at 4 for the circulation of lubricant. The bearing is supported on a spherical seat 5 which forms a part of the bearing casing and pedestal 6.

v The bearing construction so far described is a known one and is to be taken as typical of any suitable bearing design. f

According to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 'and 2, I clamp the shaft down in the bearing by means of two semi-circular clamping members 7 located at opposite ends of the bearing and held yieldingly in position by 'studs 8 beneath the heads of which are springs 9. The studs are turned down to put springs 9 under the desired amount of comp-ression and when thus adjusted it will be seen that shaft 1 can move in its bearing only by overcoming the force f. of springs 9. The springs thus serve to hold y the shaft down yieldingly in its bearing and to prevent occurrence of the phenomena above referred to. Studs 8 extend through oversize openings in members 7 to permit a slight relative movement of members 2 and 7.

I may provide in addition to the yielding means above a friction means for resisting displacement of the shaft by retaining the vtwo clamping members 7 in rubbing contact with the upper part of bearing 2 by means of bolts 16 adjustably threaded into the bearing v2 with springs 17 on said bolts 16 employed to effect the desired frictional resistance between the clamping members 7 and the bearing 2. Bolts 16 extend through oven-size openings in members 7. Springs 9 are made of sufficient stren h tomestore members, 7 to their normal osltions as shown 'in Fig. 2 vagainst the frictional resistance eHected by the action ofsprin s 17.

' In connection w1-th the yyielding holdingv means or the yielding and friction holding means for`the shaft as just described, I may/- provide also a friction holding means for the bearing 2 and to this end I may employ an `\arrangement such as that disclosed inl the patent to Clough, No. 1,019,424., patented March 5,4912, wherein the bearing 2 is provided with a ange 1() located between two rings 11, the peripheral surfaces of the rings being spherical for engagement with the spherical seat 5. Rings 11 are held in frictional engagement with ange by means of springs 12 located betweenthe rings and nuts 13 on the ends of studs 14, the studs eX-' tending through oversized openings in flange 10. Byadjusting nuts 13, the desired fric- 'tional engagement between ring 11 and flange 10 can be obtained. The bearing 2 is suported in its normal central position by pro- ]ections 15 which engage rings 11.

Fig. 3 discloses another embodiment of my invention in which 1 indicates a shaft and.'19 and 21indicate bearing elements for the shaft: Bearing elements 19 are mounted in a lower bearing c ap 18 and element 21 in an upper cap member 20. The cap members 18 and 20 are clamped together by suitable studs 28. The bearing element 21 is yieldingly held against the shaft by springs 27 and a block 22. One or more studs 23 each having a spring 26, hold the block 22 in frictional engagement with a suitable surface on the cap 20. The studs extend through over- `of springs 26. Fig. 3 shows but one stud Af 23 and 25 each provided with a spring 26 or 27 but it is to be understood that block 22 extends to full length of the bearing element e as shown.

21 and that a number of studs 23 and 25 may be used each being provided with its spring In this embodiment the ywhipping action of shaft\1 is opposed by the action of l Springs 27 and the frictional resistance of` block 22 rubbing on cap 20. This bearing may be employed in conjunction with one or more-bearlngs of ordinary type inv which case it serves to hold the shaft down in said bearings. If found desirable, a stop may be provided for bearing element 21 0n block -22 to limit the amount the shaft can deflect.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle 'of operation of my invention, together 111 with the apparatus which I now consider t0 represent the best embodiment thereof, but

I dsire to have it understood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative and that the invention may' be carried out by other means.

What I claim as lnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: 1. The combination with a shaft and associated with the shaft and bearing for t' bearing for the shaft, there being a clearancc 10u opposing vibration of said shaft relative to the bearing.

2. The combination with a shaft and a l bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearing, of a curved member, yielding means for holding the curved member in engagement with the shaft wherebyA the shaft is held in engagement with its bearing, and friction means associated with the shaft and bearing for opposing Vibration of said shaft relative to the bearing.

` 3. The combination with a shaft, a bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearing, and a mounting means for the bearing, of a curved member yielding means for holding the curved member in engagement with the shaft whereby the shaft is held down in its bearing, friction means associated with the shaft and bearing for opposing vibration of the shaft relative to the bearing and friction means associated with the bearing and mounting means for opposing vibration of the bearing relative to the mounting.

4. In a shaft bearing construction, the

-combination of means providing a spherical seat, a bearing having a lining, a shaft which rests on said lining, there being a clearance between thev shaft and the top wall of the bearing, friction means through the intermediary of which said bearing is supported i on said spherical seat, yielding means for clamping the shaft down in its bearin and friction means associated with the sha t and bearing for opposing vibration of the shaft relative to the bearing. i

- 5. The combination with a shaft and' a bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearing, of yielding means disposed at opposite ends of the bearing and engagin the shaft for holding thes'ame down in its earlng. 0

6. The combination' with a shaft and a 'bearing for thev shaft, of a curved member located 'at each end of the bearing, and yielding means for hldinglthe curved members in engagement with t e shaft whereby the :shaft is held in g,engagement with its beari.

7. The combination with a shaft and a bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearing, of yielding means engaging the 5 shaft on opposite ends of the bearing for holding the shaft down in its bearing, and

friction means associated with the shaft and bearing for holding the bearing from vibra- 8. In a shaft bearing construction, the combination of means providing a spherical seat, a bearing having a lining,` friction means throughl the intermedia ofA which said bearing is supported on sald spherical seat, and yielding means engaging the shaft on opposite ends of the bearing for clamping the shaft down in its bearing.

9. The combination with a shaft and a. bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearin of means providing a radially f extending at surface on the bearing, a member whic ngages directly the shaft to hold the shaft down in its bearing, said member having a fiat surface which engages the first named fiat surface, and yielding means which y holds said Hat surfaces in engagement with each other.

lO. The combination with ashaft and a bearing for the shaft, there being a clearance between the shaft and the top wall of the bearing, of means providing radially extending flat surfaces on opposite sides of the bearing, members which engage directly the shaft to hold it down in its bearing, said members having flat 'surfaces which engage the rst named Hatsurfaces, and yielding means which holds said fiat surfaces in engagement.

ln witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of June, 1929. v

` JOHN H. DORAN. 

